Poissons 1914 - 1915

Renoir made this painting, Poissons, with oil on canvas, and the way he handles the paint is just so luscious! I love the way he's not trying to hide the process. You can see every brushstroke, every decision. The colors are so rich and vibrant, even though they're depicting dead fish! There's this incredible layering of colors, like he's building up the image from pure sensation. Check out that dab of red near the head of the upper fish – it's almost violent, but it brings the whole thing to life. It reminds me of Chaim Soutine, in the way he uses color and texture to convey such a visceral sense of being. Ultimately, Renoir doesn't give us easy answers. He leaves room for us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the painting, and that's what makes it so engaging, even now.